why the current USA is hated by so many people in other countries?
I sincerely hope that a new president and government will change things like these.
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computernerd composer 
As an American, it’s hard to know what to say to this. While the government is absolutely responsible for the mess that is the “no-fly” list”, racial profiling, and the disaster that is airport security, there’s also something to be said for individual responsibility.
The Homeland Security/TSA goons are worse than most cops I know. They get a power-trip treating people like garbage and I very much doubt the government bureaucracy can fix this problem.
This is more reflective of the gun-crazy, god-complex, law enforcement culture of the country than a direct reflection of the government (although I’m perfectly happy laying the blame at the president’s feet for the pure hell of it).
And for the record, being pretty white-bread myself, when Sailor Man and I returned from an Arab country a few weeks before the invasion of Iraq, we were treated no better, like criminals. It wasn’t until a shift change, and a new (and apparently sane) TSA officer came on duty when we, along with all our other captive cohorts, were let go-with apologies.
I know, and I’m totally not blaming you, or all the other clueful ‘Merkins I know.
Sad to say, I’m afraid that a government change won’t fix this problem, either, at least not without drastic measures (like throwing everyone out and rehiring – which I don’t see happening).
It’s like trying to change a bad “culture” in a major corporation-it’s an impossible task.
yep :(
This sort of thing drives me nuts. The older I get, the closer to libertarian I become. Ugh… I’m trying to form a reasonable response here but after reading that post, I’m so pissed off that I can’t. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with these people? We have marched directly into the ethos of, “we had to destroy the village to save it.” Save it from WHAT?
In an effort to keep our selves “safe”, we have lost everything. Integrity, logic, empathy, and finally… the safety that we wanted. We now have a government that we fear more than the terrorists. The terrorist can only kill me. My government can make me never have existed in the first place.
Benjamin Franklin, one of our most beloved, founding fathers put it best.
“They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security”
If that doesn’t sum things up well enough, how about a quote from our first president?
“Government is not reason, it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master”
From now on, I’m flying into Canada and driving across the border.
-Turkish Prawn
Ruling with fear works excellently!